Cooking Oil Options

Prior to deep frying your Home Style Potato Chips and Crisps, you will need to select the right oil for you. Below is a quick guide; we would recommend further research into the oils to learn about the health properties and flavours.

Vegetable OilThis is the traditional oil of choice for Potato Chip and Crisp manufacturers. Well, it was until people began to grow a little more health aware. It is usually a blend of soy-bean, corn, sunflower and palm oil, although you can get single blend. It is the least expensive, which may be the reason it was so widely used.

Sunflower OilAs some manufacturers move away from vegetable oil, a few are moving towards sunflower oil. It is high in vitamin E and the claim is that they will use it for the added benefit of this popular antioxidant. This is counter-claimed by the theory that the high temperatures break down the Vitamin E properties.

Olive OilA natural oil produced by the pressing of olives. Olive Oil is a source for mono and polyunsaturated fats and is said to help fight against cholesterol. It is 9% polyunsaturated, 72% monounsaturated, 14% saturated. Its use has spread from the Mediterranean basin and is growing to be the most popular cooking oil for many foods. It provides a crisp and thick texture to the Potato Chips and Crisps.

Corn OilCorn, or maize oil is extracted from the germ of corn and is 59% polyunsaturated, 24% monounsaturated, 13% saturated. Corn Oil is less expensive than vegetable oil and it also has a high smoke point, which is making it a more popular Potato Chips frying oil.

Canola OilCanola Oil is made from the extract of Rape. The name is an acronym of Canadian Oil, Low Acid, where the low euric acid oil was developed further in the 1970s to remove the bitter Rapeseed taste. In the UK, Rapeseed Oil is being manufactured in its highest quality to compete with Olive Oil as an alternative ‘healthy oil’. Canola Oil is often used in recipes that claim to be ‘Fat Free.’ It has 7% saturated fat compared to 14% in olive oil or 51% in butter. It is also high in omega-3 and omega-6.

Peanut OilAnother mono-unsaturated fat that gives Potato Chips and Crisps an interesting nutty flavour. It’s not for everyone, but it is a good experiment. Also known as Groundnut Oil, it is a milder flavoured Vegetable Oil that is derived from erm, peanuts. It is oil that is high in the mono-unsaturated count.